Will a Sherline 2000 do this?

[DsrtRat]

After my last post, I created a simplified, non scale version of this part. I opened it in FREEMILL (1st pic). Ran 2 simulated cuts.

Assuming this is the rough shape of the part, is this how one would go about making it? Carve all 6 sides in several different sections? Let's assume I can get the block perfectly level every time, how would you go about setting a zero or start point if the piece is constantly changing positions?

[Bob La Londe]

I can tell you that A bigger, heavier, more rigid, more capable machine would be the way to go if you think this is a more than passing fancy. I like the Taig I started with, but I have spent enough keeping it going and modifying it to do more that I could have started with a bigger machine to begin with.

Which desert DsrtRat?

Six sides? I don't see any reason to cut from more than 4.

It looks like you are getting the basics, but you won't be able to just make one pass with any machine (certainly not with a Sherline or Taig), also you really need to think about how you are going to hold it and position it on the table after the first side. This is the headache I often see from designers who don't machine. They design to some ideal, but forget about practicality. Yeah, I do a little work in the machining field, but its my hobby. Not my job. The best designer I have worked with is a guy out of Jakarta, that emailed me and said, "I am designing this part for a guy in Oz. What things should I do to make it easier for you to machine?"

[Fixittt]

Thanks guys. I could simply buy that part. 200.00 bucks to my door. But, where is the fun in that? I have always been the kind of guy that looks at a certain design and think, " I can do that. Hell, I can even improve on the design!" Doesn't always work out that way but it is the process I enjoy. I am off work right now and time is my worst enemy. I find something that tweeks my interest and I start to investigate. If it looks like it is for me, I tend to get drawn to it like a crack addict.

Anyhow, I have worked with CAD programs in the past and find buildin gthe models not that difficult and am thinking of takin gthe next step and turning them into real life objects.

I ask myself some of the same points that you guys have brought up. Like: The Sherline is small and somewhat limited, but can you afford a more capable machine? Do you want to start then upgrade later etc...

Food for thought.

Well, the flip side is this......
If your starting out the sherline and Taig both fit into the "Great Starter" category to get your feet wet, learn cam and machining techniques ect. For the money they cannot be beat. They offer a low cost way to break in with minimal costs and get your feet wet. Who knows, you may decide that "Hey this crap is to hard" and closet. or it can go the other way, you can learn from it, may not want to make the parts you want now, but at least you can try and later upgrade. Taigs and sherlines seem to hold their resale value as well.

[DsrtRat]

"which desert". Simply put, none! My uncle was a fighter pilot who battled in North Africa in WW2 and they were nicknamed "flying desert rats"! Been my gaming/avatar name since I started with the net.

You right about 6 vs 4 sides. I I knew in my mind that you would cut it in 4 sides but my brain overrode me when typing knowing that there are 6 sides on a block. (BAD BRAIN!)

Clamping that piece would be difficult and I try to picture that stuff when making my models. I also try and think of how much room there would be for the machine itself to work. I am assuming that most program you can enter the dimensions of the bit into them but they would be oblivious to the collet and/or head of the machine. If you write code that causes contact, that could get messy could it not?

[DsrtRat]

Just for fun, I posted the simulation on FREEMILL and it spit out 72237 lines of code. Is that normal?

Here are the last few lines. Pardon my ignorance, but is that G-code that could be entered into a machine to perform the cuts?

N72220 X-0.4939
N72221 Y1.5400
N72222 X-0.4949
N72223 Y-0.5000
N72224 X-0.4959
N72225 Y1.5400
N72226 X-0.4969
N72227 Y-0.5000
N72228 X-0.4979
N72229 Y1.5400
N72230 X-0.4989
N72231 Y-0.5000
N72232 X-0.4999
N72233 Y1.5400
N72234 Z-1.2558
N72235 Z0.1250 F2.7
N72236 M5 M9
N72237 M30

[Bob La Londe]

Try this in your part design. Add a cylinder from sticking out from the fornt and back of the part, one off the trigger guard, and one off the top somewhere. Now envision a block with that part machined out of the middle and suspended by your four cylinders. Those are called tabs.

Now of the block of metal. I would probably bolt a square stop fence to the table and a stop block at one end. You can do it in a screwless vise or a machinist vise, but you may not have enough room on a small machine. I would probably use some form of lever clamp like in this video:



Anyway, I would make sure I have both X & Y fixed refference points on the table for positioning the stock. My first cut would be to square and surface one side. Top and edges. Then I would rotate that side down, refference the part again, and square and surface that side. Your 8 necessary refference edges are now trued up and you can begin cutting out your part. If you have refferenced accurately enough and don't screw up or lose position now all you have to do is cut, rotate the block and cut some more. You will lose two of your holding tabs at some point, but you can plan to leave them with some care.

I have run code files in mold making with over a million lines of code. 72K does not seem overly onerous.

P.S. Plan to remove the bulk of the material with a larger endmill, and then make one or more finish passes with a smaller end mill.

[JonS]

To give you a bit of perspective, making brass cufflinks has kept my Sherline mill busy for about six hours per pair, the same job on an X3 takes about fifteen minutes.

[DsrtRat]

Thanks Bob. That all makes sense.

JonS. WOW. That is a huge difference!

[JonS]

When I say the same job.. I should have said for the same result, on the Sherline you have to be very gentle on both feed and DOC, so the Sherline gets there in the end but travels much further to get there!!

[Bob La Londe]

When I say the same job.. I should have said for the same result, on the Sherline you have to be very gentle on both feed and DOC, so the Sherline gets there in the end but travels much further to get there!!

Deflection and lack of horsepower is a ***** isn't it. LOL.

[JonS]

Deflection and lack of horsepower is a ***** isn't it. LOL.

Challenge is the word you are looking for

[bebob1]

The part fits inside a sherline work envelope with +/- space for thicker sized end mills to run its perimeter. Get small chip forming roughing end mills for your rough cuts and they easily handle better DOC and speed.